Historically,  the events/catering industry has been a very person-to-person business from the very first customer phone call to the catering van driving away after an event. When COVID-19 began sweeping through the United States, just about every business was forced to stop any in-person encounters, unless it was deemed essential for the community.  The events/catering industry came to a grinding halt and even future bookings were eventually forced to cancel. With no revenue coming in for the foreseeable future, Riccardo Mazzeo, CEO of Three Tomatoes Catering, had to strip the company budget and surmise how long it could withstand the shutdown.

After a period of hopelessness, he and his team gathered their wits to brainstorm alternative ways to bring the catering experience to the customer without jeopardizing the service or product. This included taking EVERY aspect of the event planning process to their website platform; anticipating every need, creating customizable menu items, customizable tableware, and catering delivery options; all with a few clicks online. Listen as Riccardo recounts some of the creative solutions for their company during a troubling time and how the new ways are here to stay!

(Please  Note: You will hear a distinct difference in the sound quality of this episode, as one of our mics broke without knowing it prior to the interview.  Our editing team did the best they could to make sure the host and guest could be heard.  We apologize in  advance.)